Wichita eagle., 1887-07-05
THE THIRTEENTH JUROR.

along. 1t had taken a long time to ex-
anime the numerous witnesses. Then the
lawyers had to be heard, and finally his
honor had delivered a charge of eXtraor
binary length and profundity.
felt relieved when / entered the jury
room with my eleven companions. Surely
we could come 10 a decision in a few
minutes.
To my mind everything was perfectly
clear. The defendant, Max Steinway,
was guilty of murder. True, no human
eye had seen him commit the crime, but
the circumstantial evidence was dead
against him.
1 formed an unfavorable opinion of
Steinway from the first. He was for
eigner, a little past middle age, strikingly
handsome, but with sinister CLEAN in
his cold gray eyes. Our plain country
people did not like his ways. He never
mingled with his neighbors, and there
was a naughty, repellant air about him
that offended strangers and all alike.
We rather resented the coming of this
man into our old fashioned community,
where one man was regarded as the equal
Of any other man, and where great stress
was laid upon neighborly virtues. But
we could not help ourselves. We could
not even make life pleasant for poor Mrs
Steinway, and we felt sure that the un-
fortunate lady needed the sympathy and
society Of the outside world.
Mrs. Steinway was pale and thin enough
when she moved into the gloomy old house
which her husband had purchased but as
the months pissed on she grew still paler
and thinner. She never smiled, and it was
easy to see that she stood in deadly fear
Of her proud, stern master:
The Steinways continued TO live in their
solitary way The village was only mile
from their place, but they did not visit it
more than three or four times year. Of
course, people talked about them. We
wondered who they were, where they
came from and what they were doing
among US. 1t leaked out that Steinway
was little cranky on various scientific
subjects. He spent most of his time study
ing chemistry and electricity. When we
heard this we gave him up. Science and
book learning were rather below par in
our bailiWick and we had q wholesome
dread of cranks.
The murder did not surprise people It
seemed natural that something horrible
should occur at the Steinway cottage.
jeff Gilmer and Lige Peake caught the
murderer in the very act, although, as l
said before. nobody saw the man do the
deed Gilmer and Peake were returning
home in the twilight, and just as they
were passing a little summer house ar
rangement in Steinway's yard they heard
a woman's cry for help. They leaped over
the fence rushed to the spot, but they were
too late. Mrs. Steinway's dead body was
lying on the ground and her husband was
rising to his feet with bloody dagger in
his hand,
This made q powerful impression On the
trial. The servants swOre that the dag
ger belonged to Steinway, ard in fast it
bore his name on the handle. They
swore, too that the husband and wife
lived unhappily, and that Steinway had
frequently threatened his wife. Against
all this there was nothing but the prison
er's statement He denied the alleged i'll
treatment of his wife, but said that she
had shown symptoms of mental derange-
ment for some time, and he had been COM
PEELED to watch her closely and restrain
her movements. On the evening Of the
tragedy he said that he heard the cry in
the summer house. He flew there, and to
his horror found his wife dead with dag
ger plunged to the hilt in her breast. 1t
was while he was drawing the weapon
from the wound that Gilmer and Peake
had come upon him.
Such. III substance, was the story told
in the court room, and this was what we
twelve men were locked up 70 decide
upon.
It was after dark when We entered upon
cur deliberations We had To candles and
they were not needed. Through two win
dows she moonlight streamed into the
room. making it rs bright as day, except
in the corners and around the edges.
He Is guilty OF murder, spoke up one
Of the jurors. in brisk, aggressive way.
There can be no doubt of it"
Certainly" said another.
'.Of course" l chirned in.
s'Why did we leave the box at all?'
asked the man next TO me. Our minds
Were made up when we heard the evil
dence."
This was telling lick. Country jurors
hate to admit that the speeches of the
lawyers and the judges charge aid them
il arriving ut Il conclusion.
\ general chorus OF voices expressed
the most positive belief in the prisoner S
guilt
Wen. remarked the foreman, las it
is unanimous, III Just knock on the door
and have the court notified that we have
agreed upon our verdict. No fun in stay
ing here all night, you know
s'You are too fast" said 4 juror IN one
of the Swallowed corners. 1.-The evidence
is very far from convincing me that Stein
way is guilty. Ii only points that way,
but it leaves a reasonable doubt, and 1t Is
our duty to discuss all the testimony
calmly aud fairly.
- beg your pardon" replied the fore
man disappointedly, Il thought we had
heard from everybody and that we were
all of the same mind. We are ready to
hear you"
Again the voice from the shadow spoke
out.
LET us put away our prejudice, saId
the speaker" 1T must be admitted that
deep down in our hearts we have cherished
an unfriendly feeling toward this man.
He is a foreigner. He is selfish and proud.
He dislikes us. and so we dislike him.
Now that he IS in trouble we feel disposed
TO believe everything that is against him,
and nothing that he says for himself. II
IS natural. but IS it right
/ took the floor and protested against
such reflections upon our integrity and In
telEgence.
Several others followed me On the same
line.
Hal ha"' laughed the juror in the
shadow. Don't deceive yourselves.
Imagine one OF uS-OUr foreman. for II
stance-in the prisoners place and You
would acquit him at once"
1t was center shot, and ii Genorahzed
Us.